There’s parks you go to for a peaceful commune with nature; this is not one of those. This is a park you go to for a bitchin’ good time. Acres of red sand dunes make for a wild adventure of your choice. If you’re like some of my family, there’s plenty of crazy hills to dare each other higher up. If you’re like me, there’s plenty of low rolling hills to speed over and attempt to look cool.

If four-wheeling isn’t your style the dunes butt up against a clear blue reservoir. It serves as a marvelous cool down in the heat of the southern Utah sun. The beaches, unlike what we usually call beaches in Utah, are actually sand. A great place to swim, boat, or enjoy the water. The only downside is the reservoir is a little on the small side so it can get fairly crowded on a summer weekend. There’s some camping on the beaches so you can tie up the boat.

There’s an established campground with paved spots and showers for the boaters. The four-wheeler side doesn’t have paved camps but still has showers (the line for these can stretch in the evening). Sand Hollow is outside Hurricane and is in easy reach of Zion National Park. Though it’s close in proximity, I wouldn’t use this as a base camp for the surrounding areas. It’s a place to play, not camp.